The New York Yankees must drastically shift focus moving forward

September has rolled around and the New York Yankees are looking great. However, their focus is in the wrong spot right now.

The New York Yankees have 26 games left in the season with 85 wins. They can easily finish out the year with 100 wins. The problem is, regardless of how well they do, the Boston Red Sox are performing on a greater scale.

With that being said, it looks as though the Wild Card is theirs to keep while the division seems just out of reach at this point.

However, the Yankees are continuing to eye the scoreboard, praying for the Red Sox to lose instead of focusing on what might possibly be their fate … squaring off in Game 163 for the chance to continue their quest towards a World Series championship.

With the Red Sox’ recent losing streak, the Yankees certainly gained ground on the AL East leaders but the fact of the matter is that the division is all but locked up. The Yankees shouldn’t be focusing on what the Red Sox do; they should be worried more about what their own team is doing and how they’re doing it.

Sure, the Yankees have gathered 85 wins and that isn’t just by pure luck. Their roster is stacked with talent from the veterans all the way down to the rookies. They truly know how to win games.

But as of late, the Bombers have been struggling to pull out victories. Some days their offense stalls. Other days, their bullpen blows a significant lead.

But the focus isn’t on the Yankees. Every inning, there is a flash over the Sox game to keep an eye on what they’re doing. Wins aren’t quite as exciting when we all find out the Red Sox have added another one to their win column.

The Yankees need to stop worrying about the division. With 26 games left, the Red Sox aren’t showing signs of slowing down and the division is firmly in their grasp. If the Yankees were going to make moves to swipe the division, they needed to start far sooner.

Right now, the Yankees need to focus on that one-game playoff that is likely heading their way. Right now, they don’t look like a team that I would bet on in one game. Their offense is far too inconsistent, their starting rotation is shaky and their bullpen is questionable, at best. This team is not made for a one-and-done game.

They have the talent to beat any team they come up against but with the season on the line, I’m not sure how this team will stack up.

That should be the focus moving forward. Forget the division! Instead, focus on putting together the best squad that will get them past the annoying Wild Card game and into the Division Series.

The Yankees have much to work on their own before worrying about a team that they won’t see in October unless they get past their one-game playoff. Stop staring down the Red Sox and start focusing on a more important team: the Yankees.

The month of September will be a challenge for the Yankees as anything can happen. Teams are looking to play spoiler any chance they get and teams on the bubble are looking to break in any way that they can. The Yankees need to take a look at themselves first before worrying about anyone else.

Luckily, the Yankees have reinforcements on the way. Gary Sanchez is expected to be activated on Saturday. Andrew McCutchen will be joining the lineup on Saturday as well. Clint Frazier is working his way through rehab. They are well on their way to putting the best team on the field come Oct. 3.

The worry over the Boston Red Sox should come in the playoffs, not right now. It would do the Bombers well to stop focusing on Boston and start focusing on New York. After all, that New York Yankees’ team is pretty darn good.